Introduction
by Xalus
Summary: This is just the introduction to some story. I have no idea where it is going, if you have any ideas, please PLEASE tell me!
1. Default Chapter

Introduction  
Water from the steady rainfall dripped down through the leaves of the forest. The soft sound it made was the only sound that could be heard, no forest creatures were out and about this day. It had been raining steadily for several days and the usually soft ground had turned into thick, sticky, progress hindering, mud. Six men slipped quietly through the trees, almost too quietly for their considerable muscular bulk. The smallest member, and oddly enough, the leader, moved slightly ahead of the rest. He occasionally stooped down and checked the ground, though the trail they followed was easy enough to see. They followed a wounded panther, they were not sure exactly where they had wounded it but small spattering of blood accompanied the paw prints on the path.  
Ahead, the trail took a sharp turn and disappeared through a dense area of trees and brush. The leader motioned for the others to fall back even more. He advanced, moving with hardly a sound, a soft scraping sound told that he had drawn a dagger. He slowly rounded the corner the trail made and found himself in a long glade. Movement ahead caused him to stop in his tracks. Whatever it was seemed to know he was coming, and it was hiding. He smiled slightly, thinking his target was in sight. He started again, the dagger ready. As he stepped cautiously around a tree, the sight before him startled him. Before him was a young woman. Her pale skin was a remarkable contrast to her flaming red hair. She was sitting beneath a tree on a log that was somewhat dry. He cleared his throat as he stepped one step forward. She turned and he was startled again. Her eyes were a clear ice blue and her gaze was cold, speaking of deep distrust. She held her stomach as if she were wounded there and as he approached she stood and slowly backed away from him. He glanced at her right hand as it dropped to her side. He could barely see the faint glimmer of a knife blade. She held it pointing upward, and was ready to slash at him at the first opportunity. He could see blood on her left arm though he couldn't be totally sure where she was hurt. She continued to back away from him, he stopped his advance and slipped the dagger back into it's sheath as he said in a gentle voice,  
"I'm not going to hurt you."  
Her eyes scanned the forest behind him and she continued to back away from him. She stepped over another log then bolted off through the forest and he took off after her. She seemed to move like the wind. Each time he thought he was gaining on her she put on a new burst of speed and quickly put some distance between them. Just as he thought he was going to have to give up his chase two of his biggest men stepped in her path, she tried to turn or stop but they were upon her. She let out a vicious cry and swiped at one of them with the knife in her hand but the other lunged and wrestled it from her grasp while the one she had originally gone for grabbed her arms and twisted them behind her, she screamed again but she was caught.  
Their leader stepped before her and the rest off the group appeared from the forest. Her cold eyes were locked on the leader as he stood watching her, matching her gaze for gaze. Finally she spoke,  
"What are you going to do with me?" Her voice was beautiful but seemed to drip with venom. He ignored her question and asked one of his own,  
"What happened to you, why are you bleeding?"  
"I was attacked."  
"By what? A large black panther?"  
She said nothing but kept her cold gaze on him. He took her silence for a yes. He figured she was a witch, one who protected nature at all costs.   
"We are tracking that panther. We now have more reason to kill it. Which way did it go?"  
Again she did not answer but her eyes darted to up to the branch of one of the trees a few hundred yards back. He turned to look at the tree, claw marks could easily be seen on the branch, and seemed to be heading off through the forest, a smile came to his lips as he turned back to her.  
"Hold still, we'll treat your wound and then we'll be on our way after the beast."  
Just as he finished something strange happened with her eyes. The pupils changed, they went almost cat-like, with the pupil one long slit. In the blink of an eye her fingernails had doubled in length, becoming more like claws than fingernails and she grabbed the hands of the one holding her and jerked, he let out a deep groan as his arms came out of their sockets and she reached around and ripped his throat out. She jumped at the man standing beside her and dug her claws in, piercing his sternum and digging down to his heart. She ripped it, still beating, from his chest and then took off into the forest.   
The leader yelled at those remaining and they all went for their weapons but she was gone before any of then could get a good idea at where she went.. She paused long enough to shift back into her panther form then disappeared into the gather gloom of the forest. 


	2. Tavern Happenings

Light from the late afternoon sun fell in rays across the dark wood floor of the long hallway. It seemed to be filtered through the newly leaved branches of the young oak tree outside. Michael was nearly running down the hallway, his white robes flying out behind him. He burst through the double doors at the end of the hall and ran into a tall gentleman with peppered black hair. He seemed surprised but smiled when he was who it saw that had run into him,  
  
"Why are you in such a hurry Michael?"  
  
Michael was breathless but he still managed to answer,  
  
"I apologize for running into you, but it's urgent sire. It's Seq'ata, she's gone!"  
  
The king was alarmed as he asked  
  
"How? Can you tell where she went?"   
  
Michael shook his head,  
  
"No sire, I was able to track her as far as the forest outside of Sarria but her trace just disappeared in what appears to be a small glade."  
  
The King frowned then turned and started walking off down the hall with Michael in quick pursuit.  
  
"How long now Michael?"  
  
"Less than a day sir. We noticed she was missing when she didn't come down for her lessons with Carry."  
  
They said nothing further until they finally reached the king's private study; he circled around the large desk that dominated the room and sat. Michael sat in the over-stuffed   
  
armchair in front of the desk.  
  
"Find her Michael. I don't care what it takes, we need to get her back before someone can use her against us."  
  
Michael nodded,  
  
"I will find her sir. I'll be leaving immediately."  
  
"Good. Take whatever you need."  
  
Michael nodded again then rose to his feet and started for the door. The king called after him,  
  
"Michael, one more thing."  
  
He turned with one hand already on the door handle.  
  
"Just be careful Michael. Her disappearance is strange. Different from before. Something isn't quite right here."  
  
"I will sir."  
  
He offered a small smile and a slight bow before turning the knob and slipping out of the room. Michael left less than an hour later on a strong stallion, riding at full gallop and he did not stop until all the daylight had faded from the sky.  
  
That night in an inn in Sarria called Inn of the Jade Jaguar, the group that had been tracking the panther had finally stopped for the night. They occupied a single table in the middle of the room; at which their leader, Brayden, sat at the head. The tavern wenches kept the ale and mead coming as they sat in silence and drank. Finally Corin, the second in command, spoke as he slammed his mug down on the table and threw Brayden a sidelong look,  
  
"So, how are we going to find her now that we've lost the trail?"  
  
Brayden smiled slightly,  
  
"We haven't lost the trail Corin, it's just temporarily misplaced."   
  
Les spoke up,  
  
"So where are we going to look tomorrow?"  
  
Brayden leaned forward and adjusted his mugs position on the table as he gazed around at the other three men. He finally cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair,   
  
"At this edge of the forest."  
  
Les arched a bushy brow,  
  
"Why this edge?"  
  
"Because, we were tracking her with the intent to kill her. She'll turn that around on us. I'd wager that she knows exactly where we are now and she'll be keeping track of us for quite some time."  
  
Just then Daevin spoke up,  
  
"Well that's fine."  
  
The others turned to look at the youngest member of the group. He smiled and continued,  
  
"The next time she gets close enough I'll just turn on my winning charm and she'll be so taken with me she'll do anything I say."  
  
The others looked at him for a moment longer then burst out laughing. Daevin's smile faded quickly. He was handsome but not that handsome. When, for the most part their laughter had subsided and Daevin's look of confusion had turned into a dangerous scowl Brayden spoke,  
  
"Daevin, I know you're good with the ladies but I'm sure she's used to having men try to win her over."  
  
Daevin's frown disappeared and was replaced with a look of forced stoicism. He nodded slowly,  
  
"Yes, she was rather beautiful wasn't she?"  
  
Corin nodded along with the rest,  
  
"Aye, that she was. Beautiful and deadly, quite a combination lad. You really think you'd be able to handle her?"  
  
Daevin's chin came up defiantly, he picked up his mug and drained it then thumped it back down onto the table,  
  
"I know I could. How 'bout you old-timer, you think you could?" I'd hate to see your heart give out with the effort of taking her."  
  
His smug smile vanished along with the rest of him as Les pulled his right arm back and threw him a punch that sent him sprawling on the floor with a busted lip and bruised cheek. The commotion in the tavern came to an abrupt halt as Les stood and leaned over the table as he glowered down at Daevin,  
  
"Now listen here pup, the only one that's got any right to be called an old-timer is me." He jabbed his thumb at his chest "The woman we're tracking could take you out without even really thinking about it. So personally I think you need to sit down and keep your mouth shut and stop bragging when you don't have any idea what we're up against."  
  
The patrons of the tavern slowly went back to their conversations as Daevin picked himself up off the floor and Les returned to his seat.  
  
After a while the members of the group began to wander off upstairs to bed until only Brayden was left, one of the tavern wenches came over with the obvious intent to offer more than just more ale but he turned her away. She looked a bit disappointed but left just the same. Brayden sat there, occasionally adjusting the position of his long empty mug, until all the patrons had either gone home or gone to bed and the fire had nearly died. Long after midnight he finally gave up his vigil and went up the stairs to bed.  
  
That same night as the sun was setting the woman stepped out of the woods and made her way down a path towards a small tavern nestled just at the tree line where the forest meets the ocean. The sound of waves lapping gently against the shore can be heard along with the sound of the breeze sighing through the trees. She looks at the tavern, the only apparent light came from the fireplace. She walked up and tried the latch, the door was unlocked. She stepped inside and glanced around the room. The bar stretched away from the door on her right and appeared to be well stocked. It ended when it connected with the opposite wall. Near the end of the bar a staircase rose from the floor up to a long hallway with nearly a dozen rooms which could be rented for the night. The rest of the common room stretched out to the left and tables and chairs are arranged hap-hazard around the room and a comfortable looking sofa sat in the shadow underneath the stairs. At the far end of the common room stood the fireplace. A lone figure sat in an over-stuffed armchair in front of the fireplace. The figure turned toward the elven woman she rose from her armchair and smiled,  
  
"Welcome to The Mermaid's Song, can I help you with anything?"   
  
"Just a room for the night." The woman replied.  
  
The proprietor of the tavern smiled,  
  
"Of course, you may have room ten, it's the best room available." The elf set the goblet she held in her hand on a small table next to her chair and walked past her patron and slipped behind the bar. She opened a small cupboard hanging on the wall behind the bar and retrieved a key with the number ten engraved on it, she turned and handed it to her guest then reached under the bar and retrieved a slightly dusty leather bound ledger and opened it to a marked page while also retrieving a bottle of ink and a quill,  
  
"Would you mind signing the registry, just for the sake of propriety?"  
  
The lady took the quill, dipped it in the open ink well and seemed to be deciding on something, she finally shrugged and signed her name in rather large, precise writing. The elf smiled and turned the ledger around to her as she replaced the ink and the quill back in it's spot beneath the bar,  
  
"Thank you Seq'ata. Have a pleasant evening. If you need anything just call and I'll be right there."  
  
Seq'ata nodded and made her way up the staircase and down the hallway to the last room on the right. She slipped inside and closed the door while the elf returned to her seat by the fire. 


End file.
